Good morning,
It's that time of year to look back at salient events and forward to new horizons, wondering what 2026 might bring.
On the foreign relations front, it seems 2025 will be defined by US president Donald Trump finally exposing his true colours and siding with Russia in cultural and territorial warfare in Europe.
It will be marked by Israel's ongoing cruelty in Gaza.
And it all leaves Europe looking lonely and belittled on the world stage.
The EU has an abusive US daddy, a rabid Russian uncle, Global South bad will over double standards, and giant Asian competitors who smell blood in the water.
But this year will also be marked by the 19th round of Russia sanctions, showing the weakness of the Russian fifth column in Europe.
The 155mm Western shells have kept flowing to Kyiv for another 12 months.
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Baltic states, Nordic states, and others, such as Romania, have stood together despite the transatlantic turbulence and Russian nuclear sabre rattling.
It gives me some hope that in 2026 Europe might still rise to the occasion of defending the free world against both Trumpian chauvinism and Putinist imperialism.
But if the EU seeks to capture popular hearts and minds for its relatively gentler vision of the world order, then doubling down on values, instead of pursuing realpolitik might be the more effective option.
And that's because losing the Global South is not just a pity when it comes to voting on the next UN resolution on Ukraine or Palestine.
It is also a fable about how the EU risks failing to harness the power of cross-party, cross-border, and transnational democratic instincts in human society.
Europe's greatest strength in 2026 could be to offer a genuine alternative to the swamp of geopolitical predators, to be an oasis of rule of law, human rights, and decency.
But in order for our discourse to be authentic and galvanising, are we prepared to slay sacred cows like US dependence and Israeli impunity?
Perhaps we need to be more creative in cultivating new partnerships in the years to come.
And if we do manage to grow a green garden at home, are we prepared to defend it?
Can we prove our vision isn't just another one of history's sandcastles or castles in the air?
- Andrew Rettman, foreign affairs editor
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